Demonstrating the "Spiritual Rain Technique"

The "Hidden Spirit Art" was the technique Xu Chunniang was currently using. With the Hidden Spirit Art's help, her cultivation, originally at the peak of the second level Qi Condensation, was concealed.

What she showed was the appearance of someone who had only recently entered the second level Qi Condensation. Since Xu Chunniang had used the Hidden Spirit Art to hide her cultivation, she naturally would not bring it out for demonstration.

Moreover, the "Spring Growth Technique" had to be cast on spiritual plants. The demonstration platform was completely bare—where was she supposed to find a spiritual plant to cast it on? She could hardly ask the stewards to fetch one for her on the spot.

Thus, the only technique she could demonstrate was the "Spiritual Rain Technique."

Xu Chunniang walked onto the platform calmly. The Spiritual Rain Technique was the first technique she had learned, as well as the one she had used most often and practiced for the longest.

It was no exaggeration to say that she could cast it perfectly even with her eyes closed.

"Disciple Xu Chunniang will demonstrate the following technique: the Spiritual Rain Technique!"

The moment her words fell, the disciples below erupted into an uproar.

"What? The Spiritual Rain Technique? Did I hear that right? That special technique for Spiritual Plant Cultivators, the one used to water spiritual plants?"

"Looking at how cool and composed she was, I thought she had a spiritual artifact too. Who would have thought she was going to demonstrate the Spiritual Rain Technique? Ugly and bold indeed."

"Exactly. She looked so confident. Even if she doesn't have a spiritual artifact, she should at least cast some powerful offensive technique. What the hell is the Spiritual Rain Technique? Is she here to make us laugh?"

Before Qi Haozhi controlled his flying sword, several people had demonstrated purely supportive techniques. But after witnessing the highly offensive Spirit Sword Technique, afraid of being mocked by everyone, people had tried their best not to demonstrate purely supportive techniques.

After all, new disciples learned only two techniques in total. If they gave up one, they could still choose the other. Those who chose two support techniques were exceedingly rare.

Xu Chunniang was one of that rare few. She had chosen support-type techniques for both, not even picking a defensive one.

The only techniques she could bring out for display were these techniques that people looked down upon.

Before going onstage, Xu Chunniang had already expected people to ridicule her. Therefore, she paid no attention to the voices below, merely took a deep breath, and began her demonstration.

As her hands moved, mist began to gather above more than half the demonstration platform. Before long, droplets carrying the faintest trace of spiritual qi drifted softly down.

Just as Xu Chunniang began her demonstration, Steward Mu, who had kept her eyes closed in feigned slumber, abruptly opened them.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, no one present could escape her eyes. From the very beginning, she had recognized this female disciple who had nearly arrived late as the one who had exchanged for the "Hidden Spirit Art" at the Merit Pavilion that day.

Not only had this female disciple learned the Hidden Spirit Art, she used it very well. Even while casting a technique, she could spare a sliver of attention to maintain the Hidden Spirit Art at all times.

Before a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Xu Chunniang's cultivation had nowhere to hide. Steward Mu saw at a glance that her true cultivation was at the peak of the second level Qi Condensation, only a hair's breadth away from the third level Qi Condensation.

Such cultivation was already among the very best of all the new disciples taking the assessment, nearly matching the cultivation speed of Inner Sect Disciples.

No wonder this little girl had insisted on learning the Hidden Spirit Art.

Steward Mu smiled faintly. She guessed that Xu Chunniang had probably encountered some opportunity and feared that her cultivation had risen too quickly, drawing others' attention. She knew how to hide her talents.

The Spiritual Rain Technique Xu Chunniang cast lasted a full fifteen breaths before finally coming to a stop. Then the dark-faced steward in charge of scoring announced her result.

"Xu Chunniang: wide range for the Spiritual Rain Technique, dense rainfall, abundant spiritual qi, long duration. Your result is—excellent!"

Upon hearing the result, the disciples below burst into an uproar.

"What? Excellent? Did I hear wrong? This is the Spiritual Rain Technique!"

"You didn't hear wrong. That steward did indeed say so. After all, the technique assessment isn't judging the size of a technique's power, but whether the technique is cast perfectly.

From that perspective alone, this Spiritual Rain Technique does deserve an excellent result."

"So what if she got an excellent result? It's only a Spiritual Rain Technique. No matter how well she uses it, it can only water plants; it has no use whatsoever in actual combat.

If you ask me, not only is this woman ugly, her brain is even more foolish. She trained a Spiritual Rain Technique this well—who knows how much time she wasted?"

"Exactly. How much better would it have been to use that time to raise her cultivation? Instead, she practiced the Spiritual Rain Technique. She must be dead set on becoming that worthless Spiritual Plant Cultivator."

Xu Chunniang had earned an excellent result through her masterful Spiritual Rain Technique, yet after stepping down from the platform, not only did no one envy her, quite a few people mocked and jeered at her instead.

In the Carefree Sect's outer sect, Spiritual Plant Cultivators held a relatively low status. They spent every day farming and tending spiritual herbs. Compared to other professions, it truly seemed somewhat beneath notice.

But in the Carefree Sect's inner sect, there were Spiritual Medicine Masters who specialized in cultivating high-grade spiritual medicines. Their status was only a notch below alchemists. However, becoming a Spiritual Medicine Master required at least Foundation Establishment cultivation. Foundation Establishment was far too distant for these disciples.

After all, barring unforeseen circumstances, the overwhelming majority of them would be trapped in the Qi Refining Stage for their entire lives, forever fated to have no connection with the inner sect.

Xu Chunniang acted as though she had not heard the others' mockery.

These people despised Spiritual Plant Cultivators as beneath notice and without prospects, yet they did not use their brains to consider it. Which of the other professions—alchemy, artifact refining, formations, beast taming, and the like—did not require immense wealth to pile up?

Even talisman crafting, which had the lowest threshold, required talisman brushes and talisman ink of considerable value. Outer Sect Disciples like them, with shallow cultivation and no foundation, simply could not afford such consumption.

Though Spiritual Plant Cultivator did not sound impressive, its threshold was low. One only needed to master a few specialized techniques, with no other investment required.

Most people looked down on Spiritual Plant Cultivators merely because their eyes were higher than their skill.

Qi Haozhi had also watched Xu Chunniang's demonstration. Seeing that her result was actually the same as his, a shadow flashed through his eyes.

He had used the Spirit Sword Technique, something who knew how many grades higher than that Ugly Girl's Spiritual Rain Technique, yet their final results were both excellent. This was simply an insult to him!

What enraged him even more was that this Ugly Girl had silently reached the second level Qi Condensation as well.

Qi Haozhi snorted coldly. "Sure enough, she's a shortsighted country bumpkin. Farming generation after generation in the mortal world wasn't enough for her; after stumbling into the Cultivation World through dumb luck, she's still thinking of farming."

After displaying his superb Spirit Sword Technique, Qi Haozhi had already become a prominent figure among the new disciples. Though he did not speak loudly, those who had embarked on the path of cultivation all had keen ears and sharp eyes. How could they fail to hear him?

At once, voices of agreement rose everywhere.

"So that's it. I was wondering why this Ugly Girl worked so hard at practicing the Spiritual Rain Technique. Her family has been country bumpkins farming for generations."

"Her name is Xu Chunniang, right? Tsk, tsk, that name alone sounds like a village girl's. So tacky."

"That does make things easier for her. While we're still worrying over whether to choose alchemy or artifact refining, she has already taken a great stride down the path of a Spiritual Plant Cultivator."

"Pfft, hahahaha! You're really amusing. Never mind taking a step down the Spiritual Plant Cultivator's path—even if she becomes a Spiritual Plant Cultivator, that's all the promise she'll ever have. It won't change the fact that she's a country bumpkin. And honestly, her looks are quite suited to the profession of Spiritual Plant Cultivator."

In everyone's eyes, Xu Chunniang had become a complete joke.

Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lulu, for the reward, and thank you, fellow Daoists, for your recommendation votes and follow-up reading! Including but not limited to: Caged Sparrow, Brilliant Blossoms, Wow., nnhgj, Opera Fan~, Kong, and some readers with numbers in their names, among others. I can't keep my stockpile hidden any longer—I'll post an extra chapter for you, fellow Daoists!